All We Know
by The Queen in the North
Summary: The mane six are humans in high school. Twyla Sparks moves from the city and into the small town of Perryville expecting nothing but misery...but is surprised to find that she makes new friends. Together they deal with problems faced by teenagers, ranging from relationships to self-esteem and peer pressure. No relation to Equestria.
1. Chapter 1

_This is a story about the mane six as humans in high school. I made all the pony names into human names that are similar. Rated T for stuff that will come later. This is my first story, so I'd appreciate reviews!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony. Also, the title is from the Paramore album_ All We Know Is Falling.

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_**Chapter 1**  
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Watery brown mud was splashed into the air by the wheels of a speeding pickup truck, splattering all over Twyla Sparks's purple plaid skirt and black collared blouse. Too late, she lunged back from the curb, only to feel her black loafer sinking into the swampy grass behind the sidewalk with a wet squelching sound. A scream of frustration welled in her throat.

It was all her stupid mom's fault, she thought. If her mother hadn't gotten pregnant with a second child and decided to uproot Twyla's entire existence in the big city where she had grown up, she wouldn't even be standing here. Dismal raindrops wouldn't be barraging her black umbrella while she waiting for a smelly old school bus to come and take her to a high school full of people she wanted nothing to do with. Her long, straight black hair wouldn't be frizzing like crazy and the moisture wouldn't be eroding her black eyeliner and mascara. She wouldn't be living in a tiny two-bedroom house in this ditzy little neighborhood in the godforsaken little town of Perryville. But the baby needed space to run and play, the baby should grow up somewhere peaceful, the baby this, the baby that. The baby, always the baby.

The thing that Twyla had been truly dreading ever since her mom announced the move was having to meet new people, especially at school. She only had a couple of good friends at her old school, and she was always made fun of for everything from her good grades and bookworm-ness to the fact that her parents were from the Philippines. The only big transitions she had ever made were from elementary school to middle school and from middle to high, both of which had been traumatic enough for her. But now she was walking into completely unknown territory, where she knew absolutely no one and had no idea where anything was.

At that moment, the sound of the bus came into earshot. It was a mixture between a steely, stressed moan and an obnoxiously loud rumbling. Through the misty sheets of rain it came into view, its yellow paint looking a little sickly in the grayish morning light. It let out an exhausted screech as it halted in front of her.

You are going to be okay, she told herself firmly. Her stomach was swarming with anxious butterflies, but she had no choice but to step onto the bus as its doors banged open.

The seats were fairly packed. Some shouts bounced back and forth across the aisle, but mostly a low-key thrum of chatter permeated the bus. Twyla desperately cast her eyes around for an empty seat, but didn't see one. The bus doors slammed shut and the big noisy vehicle began to move. She was just thinking that she might be about to panic when she heard an enormous gasp. A fast, high pitched voice rose over the chatter.

"Oh my gosh, you're new! Here, sit with me!"

When Twyla saw the source of the voice, she felt vaguely as if she had been struck in the face by a heavy weight. The girl sat a few seats ahead of her, beckoning to Twyla with her hand and sporting what had to be the biggest grin since humans developed teeth. Her long hair was dyed an eye-assaulting hot pink color and had been heavily crimped so that it poofed out from her head in tight little waves. Several blue and yellow bows were clipped in random places throughout her voluminous mane of hair. She was a tad on the plump side, with a circular face and cute, round cheeks. Baby blue eyeshadow made her blue eyes pop like aquamarine firecrackers, and her lips were made big and shiny by sparkly pink lip gloss. She wore a ruffled pink shirt with heart- and balloon-shaped patches ironed onto it and straps that just barely met the three-finger width requirement imposed by the dress code. Reluctantly, Twyla made her way over to sit down next to the eccentric-looking girl, who moved her bright pink Hello Kitty backpack onto the floor to make room. As Twyla lowered herself into the gray vinyl seat, setting her purple shoulder bag in her lap and wrapping her arms around it, she saw that the girl was also wearing a blue tulle skirt and pink-striped, calf-length leggings on her short legs, and the ballet flats on her feet were as yellow as rubber ducks. She had at least a dozen bracelets on each wrist, and each one looked like she had made it herself with a child's beading kit full of big plastic beads. Many had letters that spelled things like "love" and "awesome".

"I'm so glad to meet you!" the pink-haired girl gushed at Twyla. "My name's Penny, but everyone calls me Pinkie because of my hair, so you can call me that. What about you, what's your name?"

"Um, Twyla," Twyla replied, distastefully eyeing the crazy clothing rather than looking "Pinkie" in the eyes.

"Oh wow, that's such a cool name! What grade are you in, Twyla? You must be at least a sophomore; you're definitely not a freshman…" Pinkie trailed off, scratching her nose with a hot pink acrylic fingernail.

"Junior," said Twyla shortly.

"Oh my gosh, me too! We'll have, like, classes together!" Pinkie seemed momentarily overwhelmed by this prospect.

I can hardly wait, thought Twyla drily.

"We should compare schedules," suggested Pinkie ecstatically. "You know, to see what classes we have with each other!"

"I haven't gotten my schedule yet," Twyla told her, trying not to show her relief that she wouldn't have to compare schedules with Pinkie. "I have to go to the office when I get there."

"Oh!" exclaimed Pinkie. Her voice showed no signs of becoming lower or less excited. "Have you been to the school before? I mean, do you know how to get to the office? 'Cause I can show you where it is if you don't."

"No, I know where the office is," Twyla lied. "I went to the open-house."

"Okay!" said Pinkie brightly. "Tell me if you change your mind. Ooh, hey, we're stopping! This must be a new freshman; we never stopped here last year. I have to say hi to them!" She jounced up and down in her seat, craning her neck to see who got on the bus. The boy who stepped into the aisle looked extremely nervous and, like all freshmen, seemed ridiculously young. "Hi!" Pinkie sang at him as he looked for a seat. "Welcome to your first day at Perryville High School!" The boy looked around as if a ghost had just spoken, and then looked even more freaked out when he saw Pinkie herself. He opted not to respond and kept searching for a seat.

"How can you do that?" Twyla blurted.

"How can I do what?" echoed Pinkie, tilting her head like an inquisitive puppy.

"Just…you know, greet people you've never even met."

"Well, you just say hi to them," said Pinkie, sounding confused. "It's easy!"

Twyla started to speak but changed her mind. "What I mean is – never mind."

"Okay!" Pinkie chirruped. "Ooh, look! We're here!"

Twyla's heart sank. The bus was pulling into the bus loop of Perryville High; it stopped behind several other unloading buses, letting out the same screeching sound. As students stood up and filed out of the crowded bus, Twyla stood in her seat waiting for passage into the aisle. She waited until every single person had gone before her, stalling as long as possible before getting off. Pinkie waited patiently behind her, humming a cheery tune off the top of her head.

The bus roared away as soon as they stepped onto the sidewalk. The back end of the school loomed in front of them, a two-story brick building that was…well, just like any ordinary high school. Pinkie strode confidently ahead and held open the heavy metal door for Twyla, who followed more cautiously.

Once inside, they found themselves in the cafeteria. It was huge, with a floor of white and blue linoleum tiles and row upon row of long rectangular tables. A sea of students milled around, some sitting on chairs and tables, some roaming around or heading for the breakfast line, some standing in groups and chattering or greeting their friends with hugs after a summer apart. Twyla didn't even have time to look around for the main office before two people came over and greeted Pinkie.

"Hey, Pinkie!" hailed a big, dark-skinned guy who looked like a senior. At his side was a blonde girl who grinned and ran up to hug Pinkie.

"Hi, guys!" the pink-haired girl chirped, hugging the blonde. "It's so awesome to see you!"

As the two walked away, even more people started waving at Pinkie and calling out salutations, all of which she returned happily. "I know everyone in the school," she said proudly, turning to Twyla. "Speaking of which, I need to go introduce myself to all the new freshmen! Bye now, see ya later!" Pinkie turned and darted off into the crowd.

Twyla's heart sank even further as her new acquaintance's pink mane disappeared. Far from the relief she expected to feel once she was free of the pink-haired chatterbox, she felt startlingly scared and alone, like a child lost in the grocery store. True, Pinkie was annoying, but at least being with her was better than being alone and free-floating, with no anchor to hold on to.

Twyla shook her head obstinately. What was she thinking? Alone was her specialty. She had always been able to do things by herself, with no help or guidance from anyone. Why should she be afraid to go find the damn office and get her schedule? She set her jaw and scanned the cafeteria, and, spotting a sign that read "office", headed off in that direction.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to Seam Streak, Vampyro77, and Nami Uchiha 1313 for the reviews! Yes, I will be accepting OC's, but a limit of 5 for now and not based on ponies. Also, sorry it's taken so ling to upload the new chapter, my computer's been screwy. I'm also going to have limited computer access over the summer, so please be patient with this story. Thank you!

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_**Chapter 2**_

When Twyla arrived at her first class, AP English 11, she found that the classroom was typical. A whiteboard took up most of the front wall, the teacher's wide desk was nestled into the corner opposite the door, and six rows of student desks were lined up facing the board. That was a good sign – rows of desks meant that the class would be mostly individual work, while tables were an indication that there would be a lot of group work, which Twyla detested. The only thing she usually learned from group work was how extraordinarily stupid other kids could be.

The classroom was also empty – not even the teacher was there, though the door was unlocked, so he or she must have gone to get coffee or whatever teachers do in the morning. Twyla suddenly felt sheepish. She had left for class as soon as she got her schedule, not wanting to stand around the cafeteria and stare at her feet. If she was a normal sixteen-year-old, she'd be out in the cafeteria socializing, not hanging out in an empty classroom waiting for the bell to ring. Whatever, she thought. I'm not a normal sixteen-year-old. I don't need friends. She dumped her shoulder bag on a desk in the front row, in the corner farthest from the door. She had learned that this was a strategic place to be located – in the front row so that she could answer questions, but not near the door, because sitting by the door meant you always had to open it for people. The disadvantage of this location was that it was usually near the teacher's desk, which made you fair game as a "teacher's pet." Oh well. Truth be told, Twyla was a teacher's pet. No use trying to pretend otherwise.

Twyla sat down at her newly claimed desk and pulled a book out of her bag so that she wouldn't have to look at people when they started to come in. The book was The Catcher in the Rye – a classic, just like most of the books Twyla read. Unlike most kids her age, she actually enjoyed the classics.

Twyla had just succeeded in becoming absorbed in the book when the bell rang, letting out three bings that startled the living daylights out of her. Her heart beat a bit faster, but she tried to concentrate on the words printed on the page in front of her as students began to slowly trickle into room. She stole sideways glances at her new classmates. They were just regular teens. She started to relax some.

Just then, Twyla heard the soft thump of a backpack being put down by the desk right next to her. She glanced down from her book and caught a glimpse of a worn brown cowboy boot peeking out beneath the frayed hem of a pair of old jeans. She looked away.

She hadn't read three more words, though, when a warm voice said, "Howdy there. Ya new here?"

Twyla resignedly closed her book at turned to face the speaker, who sat in the desk next to her. It was a girl with light blonde hair that hung in a loose ponytail over one shoulder, secured with a red band. Her bangs were swept off to one side of her freckly, heart-shaped face, and her eyes were a light spring green. She wore an unbuttoned red plaid shirt with cuffed sleeves and a yellow tank top underneath. Her skin was tanned, but not in the tell-tale orangey way of spray tan or with the golden glow of tanning beds; she had an honest farmer's tan that spoke of hard work and sports. There was no makeup on her face, and she wore no jewelry aside from a leather watch on her left wrist.

"Yeah," answered Twyla. "I'm new. I'm Twyla."

The girl peered at Twyla for a moment. "Aw, lordy," she said in a thick Southern drawl. "That was my pickup truck that splattered mud on you this mornin', weren't it? I'm mighty sorry 'bout that."

Twyla recalled the mud-splattering incident in question and gave the girl a smile that was more of a pained grimace. "That's okay," she replied politely. "What did you say your name was?"

"I didn't." The girl grinned. "It's Abby Jo, but everyone calls me AJ. Nice to meetcha, Twyla."

"Nice to meet you too, AJ," said Twyla. As she studied AJ, the word "redneck" came to mind, but she instantly felt guilty for this thought. Just because of her accent, Twyla? she asked herself reproachfully. And the pickup…and the cowboy boots… But hey, she told herself, at least AJ had taken the time to introduce herself. She seemed friendly and down-to-earth, so why was Twyla being so prickly?

Before either of them could say anything more, another voice was yelling loudly across the room in their direction. "AJ!"

AJ and Twyla both turned and saw a girl hurtling across the room, her expensive-looking running shoes hardly seeming to touch the floor. She was short and skinny, but what caught Twyla's attention was her hair; it was medium brown and cut in jagged layers, with unruly bangs that hung right in her eyes – and it was streaked with red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

"Hey there, Rainbow!" said AJ, standing up. The smaller girl barreled into her and tackle-hugged her. A blue, red, and yellow backpack with the Superman logo bounced against her back. Twyla saw that she was wearing a light blue jacket with the sleeves pushed up to her elbows, a black T-shirt with Perryville Varsity Soccer emblazoned on it in blue, and, oddly, school gym shorts. Like AJ, her only ornament was a watch, but hers was a red plastic Spiderman one.

"What's with the gym shorts, Rainbow?" asked AJ, disentangling herself from her friend's arms.

The girl who was apparently named Rainbow waved her hand dismissively. "They made me change," she said. Her voice was boyish and slightly scratchy. "Apparently my athletic shorts weren't 'school appropriate'. Personally, I don't see how they're any different than these, but whatev."

A dress code violation on the first day of school? thought Twyla. What a role model…

Rainbow glanced at the desk where AJ had been sitting. "Anyway, why in the hell are you sitting up here? We always sit in the back together!"

AJ's eyes went to Twyla. "I was keepin' the new girl here company," she explained, smiling.

Rainbow barely glanced at Twyla. "Hey," she said shortly. "Well, come on, AJ! There's only two seats left back there!" She grabbed the taller girl by the wrist and started toward the back of the classroom.

"Hold your horses, I'm comin'," said AJ. "Lemme get my backpack, for Pete's sake." She leaned down to grab her plain brown backpack, and muttered, "Sorry, Twyla," as she slung it over her shoulder and followed her friend.

The bell rang for a second time, and the teacher walked in, beginning the class.

After English, Twyla searched the map on the back of her schedule for Room 145, AP Physics, while everyone else filed out of the room. Just as she was starting to worry that she wouldn't make it on time, a voice spoke right beside her.

"You need any help gettin' to your next class?"

Twyla turned and saw AJ standing right next to her with the same friendly smile that she had worn earlier. Rainbow was standing behind her with her arms crossed sullenly, tapping her shiny Nike-clad foot impatiently.

"Um, sure," said Twyla. "Do you know where room 145 is?"

"Sure do," replied AJ with a grin. "Me and Rainbow are headed right near there, so we can walk you."

"Okay," said Twyla, slipping her map and schedule into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Together, the three girls exited the room into the crowded hallway.

"So where you from, Twyla?" asked AJ as they walked.

"The Philippines," replied Twyla, bracing herself for the "Asian" comments.

But AJ just laughed. "No, I mean, where did you live before you moved here?"

Twyla flushed, embarrassed by her mistake. "The city," she answered shortly, twirling a strand of her long black hair between her fingers.

"So you're a city girl, huh?" asked AJ.

"I guess," Twyla replied.

"Boy, I hate big cities. I tried livin' in one when I was smaller, but I missed the farm too much. I'm a country girl deep down."

Rainbow looked pointedly at AJ's cowboy boots and said drily, "Or not so deep."

AJ laughed. "Yeah, not that deep."

Twyla hesitantly joined in laughing. Rainbow's hair caught her eye, and she asked, "Hey, is your name actually Rainbow?"

"Yep," the smaller girl answered. "My parents were hippies who never let go of the seventies. What're you gonna do." She flicked her bangs out of her eyes, but they just fell right back. "I hated my name with a passion for a long time, right? But then, when I was in seventh grade, I was like, hey. If I'm saddled with this name for the rest of my life, I might as well make the most of it. So I started streaking my hair with rainbow colors and I've been doing it ever since." She suddenly stopped walking at a classroom. "Here, 145."

"Okay, thanks," said Twyla, starting through the door. "See you guys later, I guess."

"Bye!" said Rainbow and AJ in unison, walking off together.

Twyla sighed and entered the room.


End file.
